Institut Français de la Mode

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Designed by Jakob + MacFarlane at a pricetag exceeding $60 million, this dramatic green riverfront building is home to the French Institute of Fashion, where promising designers shape their talent. Inside, visitors can catch an exhibition from a designer alum (such as Eva Gronbach) or a listen to a roundtable discussion of urban renewal featuring an architect, a computer designer, a painter, and a philosopher. The facility is also home range of trendy design shops, cafes, restaurants, and event spaces, all of which attract a collection of avant garde artists, designers, and hangers-on.